14 發光的城市 A R O U N D T O W N FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2008 • TAIPEI TIMES Hsu Ya-fen gets religion new gezai opera by the Hsu Ya-fen Opera of the story is such that it can only be realized if had a strong moral dimension, so this move merely Company (許亞芬歌子戲劇坊) titled Dharma the time and the motivation are right,” Hsu said. brings some of the issues up to date. A Master Wu-Da’s Penance (慈悲三昧水懺) Although not originally a devout Buddhist, Hsu added In addition to pushing beyond the conventional premieres today at the Metropolitan Hall (城市舞台) in that the performance had faced many difficulties in limits of Chinese opera in terms of performance, Hsu While Jay Chou (周 Jolin Tsai, above, looked like a squid at Taipei City. While Buddhist themes are not unusual production, and it was her newly found commitment said that the company maintains a very active online 杰倫) basked in the music the Golden Melody Awards. But at least in gezai opera, Hsu Ya-fen (許亞芬), the company to Buddhist practices and ideas that had helped her presence with a blog and comments board. “Many industry limelight with a batch she’s moved on from wannabe actor Eddie founder and star of the new opera, has taken work through them. “It has been a very educational young people write to reflect on what they have seen,” of nominations and gongs at the Peng, below. PHOTOS: TAIPEI TIMES the unusual step of taking monastic vows, albeit experience,” she said. she said. “Theater is a reflection on life, 19th Golden Melody Awards (第 temporarily, to better enter into the spirit of her role Hsu, who comes from a theatrical family, has been and to make people think about 十 九屆金曲獎) on Saturday, his Tsai’s good friend Little S (小 as Dharma Master Wu-Da (悟達國師). a gezai opera performer for two decades. She ways of living is really what we former girlfriend and rival, Jolin S) is having no trouble getting The opera tells the story of the monk Wu-Da who as opened her own company two years ago and are all about.” Tsai (蔡依林), has hit the skids. satisfaction, or so it seems from a humble aesthetic shows great compassion for those aims to extend the range of her performances — IAn BARTHOLOMEW She failed to receive one reports received from sources, around him, but after finding favor with the emperor to incorporate other performance styles. nomination in any major award who revealed to Next Magazine becomes arrogant and overbearing. Supernatural With Dharma Master Wu-Da’s Penance, she category, despite the critical that the mom-of-two and TV forces of retribution cause him to develop a terrible has already incorporated elements taken success of her Special Agent show hostess is a frequent visitor sore on his knee; this sore is able to speak and tells from Beijing opera and also some aspects of J (特務J) album, which was to her neighborhood sex shop. him of an evil deed committed in a past life, retribution traditional Chinese dance. released in September of last She strongly recommends for which had only been averted until this time due The participation of the Fo Guang Shan (佛 year, and she was the subject of the Ribbed Bullet, to many of to his goodness. Eventually, Dharma Master Wu-Da 光山) Buddhist organization has allowed this an all points bulletin issued by her friends, reportedly, although pacifies this apparition and finds redemption from his performance to grow into a major production, the fashion police for turning she has yet, as far as Pop Stop sins both past and present. He writes down the story with more than 30 performers and the support up to the awards ceremony is aware, failed to, publicly, er, of his arrogance and salvation as penance. The story of the Fo Guang Choir (佛光山合唱團) and the Fo in a NT$200,000 dress by plug the product on her show. takes place during the Tang Dynasty, the apogee of Guang Dun Hang Dance Troupe (人間敦煌舞藝團). Giambattista Valli, in which, The device, according to the Buddhist development in China. “The Buddhist chanting and so on fit quite well with according to Chen Wan-ruo (陳婉 packaging, makes use of “HS In an interview with Taipei Times, Hsu said she gezai opera in musical terms, but we also needed 若), the former general manager III” technology that “allows had consulted with many monastics in preparing this to make sure the whole thing does not become of the Eelin (伊林) modeling you to choose vibration speeds opera, in the course of which she decided that she too solemn,” Hsu said. agency, she looked like a and thrilling motions to create wanted to fully engage with her role by the taking of Her company started out doing barbeque-ready squid on a stick. pure ecstasy.” This is probably monastic vows for the duration of the rehearsals and public service gezai operas against Worse still, her new album, not something that Peng could performances. the dangers of drug use and Etude of Love (愛的練習曲), which do, even on a good day, so Pop Hsu said her decision to take monastic vows, government corruption, was scheduled for a February Stop would advise Tsai to follow although temporary, had made it easier for her which proved enormously release, is being held up by EMI her friend’s advice, although in to understand the lives and attitudes of the monk successful with young for reasons unknown, and this the interests of full disclosure, she portrays, and made a real connection with the audiences. Gezia opera, has cost her, according to Next Pop Stop cannot vouch for the religious ideas that the original story of Dharma as with much traditional Magazine (壹周刊), an estimated product’s claims. Master Wu-Da’s Penance represents. “The nature Chinese opera, has always NT$20 million in lost earnings. While Tsai may be fretting The diva’s romantic life lies over the millions of dollars PERFORMANCE NOTES: in tatters, after her mother and she is losing because of EMI’s former beau Eddie Peng’s (彭于 prevarication, Chang Yun-ching WHAT: Dharma Master Wu-Da’s Penance (慈悲三昧水懺) 晏) manager put the kibosh on the (張芸京), the winner of SetTV’s pair’s blossoming relationship. WHEN: Today, tomorrow, July 18 and July 19 at 7:30pm, talent show Super Idol (超級偶 and Sunday and July 20 at 2:30pm (Taipei); July 25 and But, despite past bad blood, 像) is pulling her hair out over it looks as though Tsai is finding July 26 at 7:30pm, and July 27 at 2:30pm (Kaohsiung) the cash that has reportedly been 城市舞台 moral support from old boy- WHERE: Metropolitan Hall ( ), 25, Bade Rd Sec 3, Gezai star Hsu Ya-fen shaved her skimmed off her income by her 台北市八德路三段 號 friend Chou, who is encourag- Taipei City ( 25 ); Kaohsiung City Labor hair and took monastic vows agents, which has left her without 高雄市政府勞工局勞工育樂中心 ing her to follow his example Recreation Center ( ), 132 for her role as Dharma Master enough even to pay the rent on Chungshan 3rd Rd, Chienchen Dist, Kaohsiung City (高雄 Wu-Da. and start her own production her NT$5,000-a-month room. 市前鎮區中山三路132號) PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HSU YA-FEN OPERA COMPANY company. The pair got into some Next Magazine reports she tit-for-tat sniping over the sales TICKETS: NT$500 to NT$3,000 (Taipei); NT$300 to has yet to receive her prize NT$2,500 (Kaohsiung), available through ERA ticketing or figures for Special Agent J late money, and her agents are last year, with Chou claiming from the venue netting 60 percent of all her other ON THE NET: www.yafenopera.com they had been inflated, and that earnings, leaving the former his own album, On the Run (我 graphic designer with little more 很忙), released at the same time, take-home pay than she had had really outsold Tsai’s. received from her office job. For all the smiles, it’s a tough world A rumble and a tumble in Nangang out there in showbiz land, and wannabe celebrities need to hone he K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in winners will go on to compete in the K-1 their survival skills to make it Taipei takes place on Sunday at finals in Tokyo at the end of the year. through the snake pit of corporate T the World Trade Center in Nangang. K-1 combines elements of kung fu, interests behind the cameras, No local competitors have entered the kickboxing, karate, taekwondo and just as they need to impress the Grand Prix section, which will be held other martial arts, with many of the judges in front of them. in Taiwan for the first time. fights ending in a knockout. — COMPILED bY IAN The man to beat is 2007 K-1 World Up-and-coming talents participating BARTHOLOMEW finalist Ruslan Karaev, who’ll enter the in the Taipei elimination-round bouts ring in quarterfinal action against the include Young Hyun Kim (South Korea), TOP FIVE MANDARIN ALBUMS JUNE 27 TO JULY 3 relatively unknown Tatsufumi Tomihira. Saiseelek Nor-Seepun (Thailand) and Aleksandr Pichkunov, another favorite, Zhang Qing-jun (張慶軍, China). Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) and Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰) first faces Japan’s Nobu Hayashi. Complimenting the Grand Prix 1 with 15.23 percent of retail sales The K-1 World GP ‘08 Asia Final is action are three K-1 Superfights.